Urgent Care :: Caught in filter intake, nearly drowned

[ljapa]

How big is your turtle? 2.75"
How long have you had it? Since mid-July

What is the water temperature? 77
Did you use a thermometer? Yes
Are you using a water heater? 2
How much water is in there? 55 gallon filled to the bottom of the rim + another 40 gallons in a refugium
Are you using a water conditioner? No
Are you using any filtration? Fluval 406 + refugium has about 4 liters of media

What is the basking temperature? 95
Is there a basking light? 60 watt incandescent
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? ATBA acrylic
What kind is it or what is it made out of? Acrylic, homemade with the old floating platform sitting on it
Is there a UVB light? 26 Watt ReptiGlo 5

What have you been trying to feed it? Red leaf / romaine daily. Omega One juvenile pellets and Reptomin baby pellets every other day.
When was the last time your turtle ate? Last night

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 55
Is the tank near a window? No, in basement
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? No

Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? No

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? See below

I came down to see Toby floating face down just off the bottom. Then I realized he was stuck to the filter intake, which has a 90 degree bend from when we had a sponge prefilter on back in the old tank when he was much smaller.

I thought I saw head movement as I dived for the plug.

Once I unplugged the filter, he floated to the top, but did not come up for air. I lifted him to the basking platform, and he laid totally limp. No movement. No breathing.

About the time I decided he had passed on, there was one gasp for air. Over a few minutes, he would gasp every 10 or 20 seconds. Then he began struggling to get his front feet under him, but still had not lifted his head.

Now, about 40 minutes later, he is able to hold his head up. It looks like he may be sleeping, because he did not close his eyes initially, but now has.

He's breathing, but not moving much. I've shifted the heat light angle, so he is not so hot.

The herp vet I had picked out if I ever needed to use one is closed Sunday. They point at a University extension vet for emergencies that is 2 hours away. All the others I look at are also closed.

No matter what, he's going to the vet today or tomorrow. In the mean time, do I dry dock? Any other suggestions?

During the time I have typed this, he has gone from just barely holding his head up to holding it up at the normal angle and actually moving the head around. Just shifted his position using his legs.

[adbritta]

Here are some instructions, which can be found at http://www.redearslider.com/major_illnesses_injuries.html. They do point out that the smaller the turtle is, the harder it might be.

First Aid for Drowned Turtle
Copyright by Valerie Haecky

This document may be freely distributed for non-profit use, provided this notice is included.

The following information is compiled from a variety of articles in various newsletters. I have tried this myself, too.

Both water turtles and box turtles can drown. Even a drowned turtle that looks quite dead might just be waiting for you to help it get its breath back. Remember that turtles can be without oxygen for a long time, especially in cool water, before the damage is irreversible.

First and foremost: NEVER TURN THE TURTLE/TORTOISE ON ITS BACK. Turning it on his back might remove the little airspace still left in the lungs.

Grasp the turtle's head behind the ears (base of skull) and extend the neck completely.
Turn it head-down/tail up and open its mouth. Usually, some water will flow or drip out at this point. Wait until the dripping stops.
Place the turtle (belly down) on a flat surface with its neck extended. Stand in front of the turtle.
Straighten his front legs and pull them straight toward you as far as they will go.
Keeping the legs straight, push them in as far as they will go. Do not let the legs bend at the elbows.
Continue pulling and pushing until water stops coming out.

Now it's time to take your turtle to the veterinarian. The veterinarian will insert a tube and start providing the turtle with pure oxygen. He may give a respiratory stimulant and a drug that will help the turtle excrete the water accumulated in its tissue. After this, the turtle will probably regain consciousness and start moving. Since some turtles develop pneumonia after drowning, the veterinarian will most likely recommend a course of antibiotics.

A note on mouth-to-mouth (or straw to mouth) breathing. I've seen it described in one place. I don't know whether it works, and I don't know whether the risk of blowing in too hard and damaging the lungs is worth it. The above instructions are proven to work in many cases.

A note on baby turtles: The smaller the turtle, the harder it is to help the animal, simply because of its small size.

[ljapa]

Update: Toby stayed on the basking platform for about 1.5 hours. He has mostly been hanging out on the ATBA ramp, but did do a bit of swimming around at the surface.

I threw three of the Omega One pellets (each about the size of his eyeball). That was what enticed him to swim. He seemed a bit less dexterous going after the one by the glass, but he got all three. Then he swam around to see if he missed any before going back to the ramp.

He was not listing to one side when swimming, which I figure is a good sign.

The morning has been an emotional roller coaster.

We'll go to the vet tomorrow.

[steve]

You might want to dry dock if he's having any difficulties swimming. What part of his body was stuck? Any discoloration or anything swollen?

[ljapa]

You might want to dry dock if he's having any difficulties swimming. What part of his body was stuck? Any discoloration or anything swollen?

No trouble swimming, but he doesn't want to much. No discoloration or swelling.

About 3" from the sand, there was (now gone) a 90 degree bend, with the standard filter strainer stuck onto it.

When I came down this morning, Toby's shell was stuck to the bare intake. He was head down. All limbs were limp and his neck was hanging loose, though I thought I saw it move.

I've not seen him cough up any water. He is not listing when swimming.

He has not tried to bask since he dropped back into the water, but in the swimming I have seen him do, he doesn't seem to have any issues other than not being as active as normal.

I am calling the vet first thing when they open tomorrow, but I am feeling much more confident than when I made my first post.

I'm sure there was oxygen deprivation, and I'm worried about pneumonia. I'm hoping a vet visit can help catch that before it starts.

[Mo Milazzo]

Good luck! Little Toby will be in me and Franklin's prayers.

[Into_the_Mystic]

Awwww.. How sad... I hope he will be alright and will say a prayer for you both.

[ljapa]

Good news!

Toby was almost himself this morning. We still went to the vet. The vet just did an exam, no x-ray. She said that the pinkness of his mouth and his general activity level did not give her any concern about the lungs.

She did prescribe a prophylactic dose of anti-biotics.

She also had high praise for this website. She was not familiar with it, but in questioning me on setup and care, she asked where I was getting my info from because it was spot on. She said they usually had to educate people about cutting back on feeding and including more veggies, the need for UVB, tank size, etc....

Toby gets antibiotics for 10 to 14 days and then a follow up visit.

$96.21 for anyone wanting comparison. The vet I see for follow up keeps RES!

[Into_the_Mystic]

Great news!! = : >

[steve]

Sounds like you were able to get to him very quickly. Are you going to make any changes to the filter intake?

[ljapa]

Sounds like you were able to get to him very quickly. Are you going to make any changes to the filter intake?

Changed while he was still recovering, before he got back in the water.

I don't think even a full grown turtle could get it loose now.